Method of making turn shoes



April 19, 1932. M. DODGE 1,854,397

METHOD OF MAKING TURN SHOES Original Filed Aug. 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 19, 1932. M. DODGE 1,854,397

METHOD OF MAKING TURN SHOES Original Filed Aug. 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 soft and permit the upper to be properly shaped and shrunk to the contour of the 'f'orm.

Patented Apr. 19, 1932 trice- MILTONflL. ropes; or" N'EWBUBYPOBT, MASSACHUSETTS METHOD or 'iURN SHOES Original application filed u us' 'm, 192 4, Seria1 No. 732,925. Divided and'thi's application filed; July 31,

1928. Serial No. 296,576..

This invention relates to the manner of making turn shoes, more particularly those which are provided with toe stizffeners, or

both toe and counter stiffeners, and provides a method by which shoes having a superior finish may be produced with a relatively small expenditure of labor, the sub ject matter of this application having been divided out from my application which eventuated December 4-, 1928, into Patent No.

1,693,976, for mechanism for making turn shoes. The shoe is assembled and lasted in the usual manner wrong side out on the last, the sole beingin temper, and with or without the toe stifiener, depending on whether it is desired to last it in position or toinsert it' later. The last is drawn and the shoe turned,

and if the toe stiffener has not already been incorporated in the shoe, it is then placed in position and the lining tucked Within it.:

The shoe is then placed in position with its toe over a form, which, with most types of shoe stiifeners isheated. Y Toe stiffeners' having thermoplastic ingredients therein become by means of a heated iron. VVhe'n the stiffeners tempered by treating" with a liquid are usedthe heat tends to dry them out so thatthey becomeset to the shape of the form.

These forms are preferably so constructed,

as will later appear, as to facilitate the stiffener pressing the upper firmly against the. sole outwardly of the stitch line. therebetween. After the toe'has been thus shaped the shoe is removed from the heated form and placed between pressure dies and the sole molded to proper shape throughout, particularly at the forepart and shank portion.

The shoe is then removed from the dies and permitted to dry out. After drying out it. may lie-finished in any suitable way either by rela'sting orfinishing off the last as may be desired. If it is relasted, the relasting operation is a very since theltoe has already been properly shaped over the form, and when the rel-astingi is effected should be smooth and simple one,

. firm. This preliminary shaping of the toe,

which is of particular importance, at and adjacent to the sole, before the relasting operation also facilitates the insertion of the relasting last. It also prevents the relasting is a common occurrence when the relasting'is done before the toe portion is. shaped and while the entire shoe is soft and flabby as. it

comes from the turning operation and in which condition it must be to be relasted when no preliminary'toe shaping has. been done. This overshooting necessitates special subsequent treatment of the shoe to set the last back where it belongs. Inaccuracies in this operation result in lack of uniformity of shoes and detract from their appearance. Particularly when it is not desired to relast, it is desirable tov place the shoe over a heated heel form to aid in smoothing the upper over tiie' stiffener and to finish this portion of the s 0e. 7 v

When wood heels are desired and when previously molded counters are used, it is desirable to effect the cutting on of the sole before the counter is placed in position. Where it is done at that time the upper can be pulled away from the heel end of the sole so that it is easy to remove the stock about the sides and rear end by a'rotary cutter somewhat similar to a heel trimmer without danger of cutting the upper. The usuallips at the forward ends of the cut portions of the sole may be cut by hand operation, or in any suitable manner, this also being preferably effected before the counter stiffener is in po: sition. Cutting on at this time is further advantageous inthat it permits the counter to be placed in position closely against; the upper on its margin and furnishes a better seat for the heel than if the cutting on is done after the counter stiffener is in position and permits the heel seat to be s'ew-edewhen the shoe is sewed.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which 1 Figure 1 is a side elevation partly broken away showing the shoe lasted wrong side eut on the last, the inseam trimmed and the shoe ready to be removed from the last and turned, the toe stiffener being shown as lasted in.

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly broken away of a heated toe forming mechanism.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same showing the toe form portion inverted.

Figure 4 is an inverted plan of the forward portion of the toe form.

Figure 5 is a detail section through a shoe with the toe form therein on line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail section on line 6-6 of Figure 3. 1

Figure 7 an elevation partly in section showing the shoe sole molded between dies.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective illustrating the cutting on operation.

Figure 9 is a perspective of the heel portion of a shoe showing the cutting on operation completed.

Figure 10 is a central vertical section through the heel portion of the shoe in place over a heated counter form.

Figure 11 is a side elevation of the finished shoe provided with a wood heel.

Referring to Figure 1, 1 indicates the last on which the shoe is lasted wrong side out, the sole being in temper and indicated at 2, the upper being indicated at 3, the lining at 4. At 5 is shown the toe stiffener which is placed in the shoe before it is lasted in case it is desired to last it into the shoe, otherwise the stiffener is omitted at this time and inserted later as will appear. After the usual inseam trimming the shoe is pulled from the last and turned in the usual manner. In case a shoe stiffener, such, for example, as the Beckwith stiffener comprising a fibrous sheet material base saturated with a thermoplastic, is employed, this stiffener may be molded-to general toe form and inserted in the shoe after it has been turned and the lining tucked into the stiffener, though, if desired, it might be sewed in the same manner as the liquid tempered toe stiffener. The liquid tempered toe stiffener may also be molded and inserted after the shoe is turned. When this is done the stiffener is in slightly tempered condition when it is placed in position. The shoe in this condition with the stffener, where a stiffener is to be used, is then pulled over a form. As shown in Figure 2 this form of mechanism comprises a form head portion 10 shaped as the forepart of a last and preferably of metal so that an electric heating unit 11 may be inserted in an opening 12 formed therein adjacent to its sole face 13. This head, as shown, is mounted with capability of free turning movement, in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined standard 14 having an axially bored neck 15 in which is rotatably mounted a cylindrical shank 16 projecting from the rear end of the form 10. In order that this head may be prevented from making a complete revolution which would twist and snarl the wires 17 leading to the heating unit, a screw 18 is threaded through the side wall of the neck 15 and has a reduced inner extremity 19 riding in a peripheral groove 20 of the shank 16. This shank 16 has fixed at one portion of this groove a pin 2] which acts as a stop coming into contact with the extremity of the screw 18 when the form is rotated about the axis of the shank in either direction to a definite extent. As shown best in Figures 4 and 5 the lower or sole engaging face of the form head is recessed or cut away to form a marginal rib extending partly therearound. The shoe is drawn on to this form, heated as above described, and the form is positioned with its sole-engaging face downwardly disposed. While in this position the shoe is pulled snugly on the form and the up per about the toe is smoothed down and shrunk to conform thereto. The heating of the form causes the thermoplastic material of the thermoplastic stiffener to soften so that the upper may be smoothed down to the form with the stiffener interposed, to properly finish the forepart portion of the shoe. lNhere a liquid tempered stiffener is used the stiffener is shaped to the form and partially dried out and set by the heat therefrom.

When thermoplastic stiffeners are used it may sometimes be preferable to use a cold instead of a heated form, the stifiener having been softened by heat priorto placing the shoe on the cold form either in any suitable form of toe heater or steamer, or by being drawn on to a heated toe form. The cold form thus acts to set the stiffener after a time usually amply sufficient to permit its proper shaping to the form while soft so that when the shoe is removed from the form the toe is hard and not liable to be deformed in subsequent handling of the shoe as may sometimes happen when aheated form is used. The cold form is thus conditioned to set a thermoplastic stiffener while the hot form is conditioned to set a liquid tempered stiffener. The shaping of the toe portions of shoes over forms as heretofore described may, with advantage, often be used in connection with the manufacture of other than turn shoes. WVhen the upper portion of the toe of the shoe has been so treated with the upper presented upwardly, the workman rotates the form about its axis which extends from heel to toe of the shoe thereon to bring the sole portion 13 and the sole of the shoe upwardly disposed and toward him into the position shown in Figures 3 and 5 and at substantially the same elevation as the upper of the shoe was presented when the upper about the toe was being shaped. By striking the exposed face of the sole with a hammer as at the arro ws-a of Figure 5, the rib 25 is caused to push the shoe upper, lining, and stiffener toward the upper face of the sole by which means the 2?, thestitch line being-shown at 26 (see Figure 5). The shoe is then removedfrom the toe part. formand permitted to set.

Preferably before the sole is permitted to dry out entirely the shoe is placed between and subjected to molding pressure by the dies 30 and 31 shown in Figure 7. These dies or forms are shaped to the desired contour of the sole, particularly at the shank and forepart thereof. After having been molded the shoe is removed from these dies and the sole is permitted to dry out off the last. The shoe may be then relasted, if desired, or finished off the last. Particularly if it is not desired to relast, it is desirable to pull the heel portion of the shoe, particularly if a molded or tempered counter is to be used, over a heel form 35 which may be heated, as shown in Figure 10. This form is of the shape of a heel portion of a last for the shoe. While on this heel form the upper may be smoothed into finished condition.

In case it is desired to use wood heels the cutting on operation is preferably performed before the counter stiffener is placed in position. Before the stiffener is in position it is possible to draw the upper away from the heel end of the sole as shown at 36 in Figure 8, permitting the major portion of the cutting on operation to be performed by means of a rotary cutter similar to the well known heel shaver as shown at 37 This cutter is provided with a disk guard 38 which may bear against the upper face of the sole and between it and the upper so that the cut ters are prevented from injuring the upper. As the ends of the cutting path for such a cutter are curved, as shown at 39 in Figure 8, the inner ends of the cut portion may be finished as by hand to form the under cut lips shown at 40 in Figure 9. If now the counter stiffener be fixed in position, it is found that the cutting on operation having been already performed, the counter may be made to press the upper at the heel end downwardly so as to form a good clean joint with the wood heel as shown at 41 inFigure 11. The shoe is then finished in any suitable or usual manner.

Having thus described certain embodiments of this invention it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making turn shoes which comprises lasting the shoe wrong side out with the sole in temper, drawing the last, turning the shoe, pulling thetoe portion including a toe stiffener over a form and sn'ioothing the upper thereover, removing 7 the shoe from the form, molding the sole to V is hingthe. shoe.

substantially .finished shape, and then fine 2.. The method of making turn shoes which comprises lasting the shoe wrong'side out with the sole in. temper, drawing the last, turning the shoe, pulling the toe portion includinga toe stiffener overa form and smooththe upper thereover, molding the sole to.

substantially finished shape, permitting the shoe to dry, and then finishing the shoe;

3. The method of making turn shoes which comprises lasting the shoe wrong side out with the sole in temper, drawing the last, turning the shoe, pullingthe toe portion in-. cluding a toe stifi'ener over a heated form and smoothing the upper thereover, molde ing theforepart and the shank of the sole to substantiallyv finished shape, permitting the shoe to dry, and then finishing the shoe.

4. The method of making turn shoes which comprises lasting the shoe wrong side. out with the sole in temper, drawing the last, turning the shoe, inserting a thermoplastic toe stiffener between the upper and lining at the toe, pulling the toe portion of the shoe over a form," the stiffener being softened by heat, and smoothing the upper over the for-m, removing the shoe from the form,

molding the sole to substantially finished,

shape, and then finishing the shoe.

5. The method of making turn shoes which comprises lasting the shoe wrong side out with the sole in temper, drawing the last, turning the sho,e,'inserting a thermoplastic toe stiffener between the upper and lining at the toe, pulling the toe portion of the shoe over a heated form to soften the toe stiffener and smoothing the upper thereover, removing the shoe from the form, molding the forepart and shank of the sole to substantially finished shape, permitting the shoe to dry, and-then finishing the shoe.

6. The method of making turn shoes, which comprises lasting the shoe wrong side out with'the sole in temper, drawing the last, turning the shoe, pulling thetoe portion of the shoe over a form, and, with the upper and sole successively presented to the operator, smoothing the upper over the form and seating the sole to the upper, removing from the form, and finishing the shoe.

- 7. The method of making turn shoes, which comprises lasting the shoe wrong side out with thev sole in temper, drawing the last,

turning the shoe, pulling the toe portion of the shoe over a form and, with the upper and out with the sole in temper, drawing the last, turning the shoe, pulling the toe portoo tion of the shoe over a form and while on such form smoothing the upper and seating it to the sole outwardly of the stitch line, removing the shoeflfrom the form, shaping the sole, permitting the sole to dry and then finishing the shoe.

9. The steps in making shoes having heels and molded counter sti-fi'eners, which comprise effecting the cuttin on operation, and thereafter fixing the molded counter in position.

10. The steps in making shoes with molded counter stifi'eners and heels which comprise lasting the shoe, effecting the cutting on operation, and thereafter fixingthe molded counter stiffener in position.

11. The method of making turn shoes having wood heels and molded counter stiiieners, which comprises lasting the shoe wrong side out with the sole in temper, pulling the last and turning the shoe, shaping the toe portion with a toe stiffener therein to finished form, molding the forepart and shank of the sole to shape, permitting the sole to dry, cut ting on the sole, fixing the counter stiffener in position, and then completing the shoe.

12. The method of making a shoe which comprises lasting the shoe, withdrawing the last, shaping the toe portion of the shoe adjacent to and at the sole, and then relasting the shoe.

13. The method which comprises lasting a shoe wrong side out, removing the last, turning the shoe, shaping the toe portion of the shoe adjacent to and at the sole to substantially finished form, and then relasting the shoe.

14:. The method of makin turn shoes,

which comprises lasting the shoe wrong side out with the sole in temper, drawing the last, turning the shoe, pulling the toe portion of the shoe over a form and smoothing the up per thereover, relasting, and then finishing the shoe.

15. The method of making turn shoes, which comprises lasting the shoe wrong side out with the sole in temper, drawing the last, turning the shoe, pulling the toe portion of the shoe including a tempered toe stiffener over a form and smoothing theupper thereover, relasting, and then finishing the shoe.

16. The method of making turn shoes, which comprises lasting the shoe wrong side out with the sole in temper, drawing the last, turning the shoe, pulling the toe portion of the shoe including a tempered toe stiffener over a form and smoothing the upper thereover, molding the forepart and the shank of the sole to substantially finished shape, and then finishing the shoe.

17. The method which comprises lasting a shoe with the sole in temper wrong side out on a last, withdrawing the last, turning the shoe, shaping the toe portion of the shoe, re-

signature.

MILTON L. DODGE. 

